ROUND TWENTY TWO
Saturday 19th of August

STURT 7.2 11.3 11.6 13.13 (91)
GLENELG 1.4 7.6 9.11 10.13 (73)

Glenelg slipped to fourth place after this disapointing loss to Sturt. After an appalling first quarter, Glenelg fought back to be within 7 points at three quarter time. However, Glenelg could only manage 1 goal to Sturt's 2 in the last quarter. Gleneg failed to capitalise on numerous gaol scoring opportunties up forward. The score board shows Glenelg had 3 less scoring shots than Sturt, but this does not include several fairly easy shots that failed to make the distance or went out on the full. Glenelg also missed three set shots from 10-25 metres. Glenelg also had more possesions and brought the ball inside the attacking fifty 56 times to 45.
Despite the disapointment of losing, there is reason for optimism regarding the players to return to the side over the coming fortnight. They include Golding, Rouvray, Raidis, Jameson, Liptak, Mellody and Byrne. Port Power have failed to secure the double chance and will most likely be defeated (by either Essendon, North Melbourne or Brisbane) in the first week of the AFL finals. This would see Cornes, Bode and Harwood available for Glenelg in the first week of the SANFL finals. With ten quality players to come into the side, Glenelg can give the flag a real shake. In order to do this it must secure the double chance.
A Glenelg victory against West and a Sturt loss to Port next week would see the Bays secure third spot. A strong win to Glenelg and a narrow win to Sturt would also see Glenelg sneak into third on percentage.
The Eagles are also vulnerable. Currently in second spot, they play a resurgent Central outfit at Adelaide oval on Friday night. A Central victory would give Glenelg an opportunity to enter the top three on percentage, at the Eagles' expense.
This weeks' match report and photos are extracted from the "Sunday Mail".

INJURIES SOUR STURT CHARGE

By Paul Kermode.
Sturt stormed back into the SANFL's top three with a bruising 18 point victory over Glenelg at Unley oval yesterday, but paid a heavy price with injuries.
The Double Blues, riding the back of a superb seven goal first term, ground out a tough 13.13 (91) to 10.13 (73) victory in a hard fought encounter.

But they face athe prospect of a last round match against top placed Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval - one that they need to win to ensure a double chance in the major round - without key players Tim Weatherald (broken hand), Damien Squire (neck), Matthew Powell (back) and Andrew Geddes (possible broken foot).
The extent of the injuries to Powell, Squire and Geddes will be assesed early this week, but Sturt is resigned to being without Weatherald, a vital cog in its midfield for about a month.
The heavy injury count took the gloss off an important win for the Double Blues, one which saw them replace Glenelg in the top three - and grab the drivers seat for a crucial finals double chance.
"We've been fortunate injury-wise in the past three years in that we've had a very good run, but this is very disappointing," coach Phil Carmen said.
"It does take the gloss of the win a bit, but we're fortunate that we've got some depth - our reserves are top at the moment and hopefully some one will step in."
The loss of three midfielders unsettled the Double Blues, who had stormed to a 46 point lead when Dean Woosnam booted his fourth 12 minutes into the second term.
Glenelg did show some fight, closing to within 7 points at three quarter time, before Sturt skipped away again.
Tigers coach Tony McGuinness swung Lindsay Smith into the ruck for the first time in his 6 game league career, to counter the rampant Tom Waltham.
His competitiveness in the centre square alowed Glenelg's runners, in Brett Higgins, Sudjai Cook and Nick Chigwidden, the chance to power their side back into the game.
But in the end, Glenelg was left to lament a dreadful first quarter, when after kicking the games first goal, it let the home side take over completely.
McGuinness was baffled at his team's first -term performance, coming as it did after a superb six week spell.

Ben McEntee flies for a screamer

"You don't give any team a start like that, let alone a side that's around you on the ladder," he said.
"I was bitterly disappointed with the first quarter - I just didn't think we showed the hardness and the intensity that's got us where we've been.
"I think it was our guys coming of the back of six in a row and thinking the game was going to pan out beautifully after kicking the first goal and not expecting a team to come back and work pretty hard."

BEST PLAYERS: Sherwood, Cook, Higgins, Burke, McEntee Picioane, Smith.
SCORERS: McEntee 4.0, Cook 1.3, Higgins, Nicholas 1.2, Carr 1.1, Chigwidden, Picioane 1.0, Winstanely, Smith, Gigney Howard 0.1, rushed 0.1.
INJURIES: Nil.
CROWD: 5758.

RESERVES: Sturt 20.18 (138) defeated Glenelg 9.9 (63)
UNDER 19: Sturt 17.11 (113) defeated Glenelg 11.6 (72)
UNDER 17: Sturt 15.13 (103) defeated Glenelg 8.7 (55)